


Things That Go Bump in the Night

by Shingeki_No_Kill_Me



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Character Turned Into a Ghost, Gossip, I want this to be slow build but you know it probably won't be, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, its Bert lol, minor mentions of past abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-24
Updated: 2018-07-14
Packaged: 2019-04-27 09:55:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14422908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shingeki_No_Kill_Me/pseuds/Shingeki_No_Kill_Me
Summary: When Reiner moves into his new apartment, he is ecstatic. He has a new job, a nice new place, and a new lease on life…that is until an unexpected turn of events reveals that there's been a ghost living with him the whole time.Currently rated Mature but that's subject to change because you know I can't help but write about ghost dicks.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've been thinking about this one for MONTHS now and I've been so excited to get the time to finally write it for you guys! I'm not too sure how long it'll be but I certainly don't want it to be the monster that Like A Flood is lol. Definitely less than 10 chapters. Updating irregularly because deadlines stress me out. (✿˶◕‿◕˶)

Bertholdt's ears perk up when he hears a key rattling in the lock on the front door. He sits up from his spot on the floor to look through the window. A pink sky greets him and he decides it can’t be much later than six. At first, he thought it could be the landlord showing the apartment off to a prospective tenant but it’s much too late for that. He usually stops bringing people through at around three-ish. Bert stares at the door as the person on the other side continues to fumble with the tricky lock. Sure, he could phase through the wall to get a good look at what’s going on in the hall but he's gotten much too comfortable to really care.

If it’s someone breaking in, it doesn’t really affect him and if it just so happens to be a new tenant…it still doesn’t really affect him. Sure, he kind of dislikes it when new people move in but he always manages to scare them away one way or another, whether he means to or not. Bertholdt has become an expert at accidentally knocking things off of shelves and making the floorboards creak as he walks over them.

He gets up from his spot on the floor to look out the window facing the street, smiling when he spots Jean and Marco in their usual spot on the curb. He could always go down and talk with them for a little bit but he knows they usually prefer to be alone together so he continues to watch the sunset as he ignores the new tenant/burglar still working at the lock. Whoever's on the other side of the door gives the lock another try before finally shouldering the door open.

Bertholdt turns to find some bulky blonde guy standing in the doorway and checking the frame and edge of the door for any cracks or breaks. He doesn’t look like a burglar. He’s handsome, Bertholdt thinks, with sharp facial features and a body that says he goes to the gym regularly. Bertholdt smiles to himself. Maybe he’ll have the apartment to himself more often than not. He sees Historia, his old neighbor that had lived across the hall before he had even moved in, standing in her own doorway with a worried look on her face. “Well, I guess that’s one way to get in…is the door alright?”

“Ahh, yeah. It’ll be fine. The frame just looks scuffed and scratched where I’m assuming the bolt catches.”

“I’m surprised the landlord didn’t show you the trick when he let you in to look around.”

“Oh…umm…I actually didn’t ask to look around. I just signed a lease as quickly as I could.”

“Wow. Moving into an apartment you’ve never seen before seems pretty ballsy to me.” The new tenant shrugs casually.

“Yeah well, I was pretty desperate for a place so I was just planning on signing with the first place that accepted me and here I am now.” Historia hums softly before looking into the empty apartment, a hint of sadness apparent in her expression.

“Guess you don’t know much about the place then, huh?”

“Not really…is there anything I should know?” Historia shrugs before leaning against her door frame, pausing for a moment before speaking.

“The landlord's a douche and he never fixes anything...That’s about it.” Bertholdt is glad that she doesn’t voice her thoughts about the apartment being haunted. It leaves more fun to him in the future if he decides to run this guy out.

“Well, that isn’t too bad. I’m a bit of a handyman and a pro at dealing with douchebags so if you ever have any trouble, feel free to come to me.”

“Hmm…alright. I’ll keep that in mind.” She quietly watches him pick the box he had been holding up from the floor before taking a few steps into his new apartment to set it down on the kitchen counter. Historia peers in at him before hesitantly speaking. This guy doesn’t seem like a threat but she’s never been too quick to trust strangers, especially after living around here for so long. “Do you need help getting your stuff in?”

“If it’s not any trouble for you, I won’t say no.” The new guy laughs softly and Bertholdt rolls his eyes before turning back to the window. Jean and Marco are still sitting next to each other on the curb and Bertholdt wonders what they still talk about after all this time. Then again, they’re both pretty nosy and like to creep around the apartments in their free time so it’s probably mostly gossip. If anyone ever needs information they can’t get due to barriers between the world of the living and the dead, they know who to go to.

Bertholdt watches Historia follow the new guy out to the moving truck he had backed up to the curb. He says something Bert can’t hear, something stupid he assumes, and Krista laughs politely before rolling her eyes. Bert laughs to himself before stepping through the wall and walking out to the sidewalk to sit beside Jean and Marco. Marco looks back at him when he notices the taller man's presence. “New roommate?” Bertholdt nods as he stretches his legs out.

“Yeah.” Jean snorts before turning away from the moving truck to look at him.

“Looks like a real meathead…wonder how long it’ll take him to figure out she’s gay.” Bertholdt chuckles softly before turning to grin at Jean.

“It usually doesn’t take them long but he _does_ look like kind of a meathead so I’ll give it three weeks. Minimum.” The guys hear a commotion from behind them and turn to look towards the moving truck to find the new guy and Historia struggling to get a nice couch through the small lobby doorway. Marco jabs his elbow into Jean's side as a wide grin spreads across his face.

“Hey baby, looks like we've got a new couch to break in.” Jean returns the grin and Bert rolls his eyes at the two men beside him.

“I’m going to ask you politely to refrain from fucking in my apartment again.” Marco chuckles softly before stretching his legs out into the traffic passing by.

“Well, maybe we wouldn’t have to break in so many new couches if you would just give new tenants a chance instead of haunting them out of the place two weeks in.” Bertholdt shrugs before clasping his hands together in his lap. Jean politely rests a hand on top of Bert's.

“Remember, you’re always welcome to join.” The couple has invited Bertholdt to break in a new tenant’s furniture on more than one occasion but he’s always declined. He’s been dead for a while but not for so long that he’s bored enough to have a threesome in a stranger's apartment, even if said stranger can’t see him. It just seems tacky to him. If he wouldn’t do it when he was alive then he won’t do it now.

“No offense to you two but I’m going to have to go ahead and pass on that one.” Marco pouts before leaning back on his palms.

“Aww, you’re no fun...but the offer’s always open.” He grins wide when Bert blushes before mumbling a soft “maybe”.

 

* * *

 

 

It doesn’t take long for Bertholdt to discover how kind his new roommate really is; perhaps too kind for his own good. The blonde man likes to bake and he always takes at least half of whatever he’s made across the hall for Historia to try. Despite Bert's first impression, it doesn’t seem like he’s flirting with her at all. He really just seems like a truly friendly person.

Bert finds that he's also quiet. He doesn’t do much except for go to the gym or work, always coming home covered in sweat, motor oil, or a mixture of the two. He never brings anyone home and in his free time, he usually just reads or sits down with a beer and watches TV. Bertholdt doesn’t really mind sharing his apartment with this guy and that’s a first for him. He doesn’t feel the need to run him out. Yet.

The first time the new tenant brings someone home, it’s unexpected. It’s pretty late and although Bert can see everything perfectly well in the dark, he doesn’t need to look to know what’s happening in the doorway of the apartment. A light flips on and he pulls himself away from his spot by the windowsill when he decides it’s time for him to get out of there. Bertholdt freezes, surprised to find that the person attached to the new tenant's face is another man. He really _hasn't_ been flirting with Historia for the past month he's lived here.

Bertholdt feels his heart warm. He's happy. He can’t remember any of the past tenants being anything but completely straight and now he can’t help the weird connection that he’s started to feel with this new “roommate” of his. Some part of him thinks that maybe this way he could try to imagine what his life would be like if he were still alive.

Things start to get a bit too rowdy for the brunet's liking and he decides to leave for a while for his own sake. When he returns, it seems like things have calmed down enough for him to feel comfortable. There are clothes strewn across the living room floor and there’s no one in sight but there are voices coming from the other side of the bedroom door. Bertholdt usually isn’t one for eavesdropping but as Marco always says, “What else is there to do when you're dead?”

Bertholdt sits in his usual spot beside the window and peers out as he tries to make sense of the mumbles coming from the next room over. He only catches a few words at first. “So happy”, “Next step”, “Move in”. He shifts closer to the door to hear the same voice from before. It doesn’t belong to the new guy. “Reiner...I love you.” The new guy, or Reiner as Bertholdt has just learned, is silent. It dawns on Bertholdt for the first time that maybe this guy isn’t just a one-night-stand, but a long-term boyfriend. The silence drags on for much longer than should be normal and Bertholdt finds himself growing nervous for Reiner's companion.

“I’m sorry…” The other man sighs shakily.

“No…I’m…I'm sorry. I love you but I don’t think I can wait for you much longer. It’s been two whole years and you still act like telling me that you love me is the end of the world.” Another long silence.

“I’m just not sure, okay? I don’t want to say it and not mean it.” Bertholdt hears another shaky sigh and a sad laugh come from the new tenant’s companion.

“I can’t do this anymore…life's too short for me to spend this much time waiting for you to decide whether you love me or not.” Bertholdt only realizes how close he had gotten to the door when it swings open abruptly and the man whose name he doesn’t know rushes through him and into the living room. He quickly gathers his clothes and pulls them on before retrieving his wallet and keys from the coffee table. He pauses in the doorway as he leaves, as if he’s going to say something, before shaking his head and closing the door.

Bertholdt stands stunned in the spot where he had been eavesdropping, not quite sure what had just happened. He peeks into the room to find Reiner half naked and sitting on the edge of the bed. He's staring at the floor but Bertholdt is having trouble detecting any amount of emotion in his expression. The blonde may be the kindest person Bertholdt has ever encountered, but there’s a possibility he could also be the coldest.

There's a soft knock at the door within minutes and Bertholdt already knows that it’s Historia. She had always come to check on him when he and his ex had gotten into fights. Reiner sighs before bracing his palms on the edge of the mattress and standing. “Just a sec!” He grabs his shirt from the back of the couch and pulls it over his head on his way to the door before plastering a fake smile on his face and answering. Historia smiles back but her worry shows through.

“Hey…I umm…I heard shouting. Is everything alright?” Reiner chuckles nervously before running a hand through the hair at the nape of his neck.

“Yeah, sorry about that. Walls must be thin.” He raps a fist against the wall before leaning against the door frame. “It won’t happen again, I promise.” Historia wrings her hands nervously.

“Do you want to talk about it? It isn’t bad, is it?”

“Nah, it was just a little argument with my boyfriend…well, _ex_ -boyfriend now I think…not really sure.” Historia nods slowly before taking a step back.

“Well, I’m here if you ever need to talk, alright? I mean it. I’m a good listener so don’t hold back.” Bertholdt smiles sadly as he watches their interaction. He knows why she's being so cautious but he wishes he didn’t. Reiner thanks her before waving her off with a smile and closing the door. He turns off the lights and heads back to the bedroom, closing the door behind himself. Reiner is quiet for the rest of the night as usual and for the first time, Bertholdt wishes he wasn’t.

 

* * *

 

It takes Reiner a few days but he finally gives in by the end of the week. Bertholdt watches him cross the hall to talk to Historia. “Hey…about the other night…”

“Yeah? What about it?”

“Umm…I think I’d like to talk. If that’s not weird. I mean, I know you offered but I didn’t want to be that one weird neighbor that talks about his personal life too much.” He laughs nervously and Historia smiles in response.

“Oh, sure. It isn’t weird so don’t worry. Did you want me to come over or did you want to pop in for a second?” The blonde woman points her thumb behind her in reference to her apartment.

“Oh, no. I don’t want to intrude. It’s fine if you come over. If you’re alright with that.” She nods with a smile before turning to look behind her.

“Just one second…I'll leave a note for my girlfriend.” Reiner nods and turns back to his apartment to wait for her. Bertholdt decides he'll stay to listen and props himself against the windowsill as he looks out. Historia hurries back with a soft apology. Bert feels a shock run through him when she looks through him to look out the window. He's always scared that someone can see him and he'll never get used to it.  Reiner pulls out a chair for her at the dining room table and now Bertholdt realizes that he really is right beside them. He resists the urge to move from his spot and continues to enjoy the view. “So, what’s up? Did it finally eat at you for long enough?”

“Yeah…something like that.” He takes a seat across from his neighbor with a soft hum. “Thanks for coming over…I don’t have many friends around here so I really appreciate your company.”

“It’s the least I could do.” Historia smiles sweetly before clasping her hands. “I’m kind of known around here for helping people out.” Reiner nods slowly. He'd like to believe that they’ve become more than just acquaintances over the past month but he has trouble reading people sometimes so he isn’t so sure.

“Alright, I’ll remember that.” He smiles and shifts nervously. “Umm…I’m not really sure where to start.”

“How about we start off with the argument. What happened the other night?” Reiner stretches his legs out before offering Historia something to drink. She politely declines and Bertholdt can tell that he's stalling. The blonde man must not really want to talk about this.

“Just…it’s stupid stuff. He was talking about getting more serious and wanting to move in with me and then he told me he loved me and then I just kind of shut down…and…and I didn’t say it back and that’s where the argument started.” Historia frowns slightly.

“So he was moving too fast for you?” Reiner shrugs before slumping further down in his chair.

“No…I think I was moving too slow.”

“Oh? How long of a relationship are we working with here?”

“Two years.”

“ _Oh_.” Reiner nods in response and Historia is silent as she tries to think of something else to say. “Well…why didn’t you say it back?”

“Because I'm not sure if I love him or not. I mean, sometimes I think I do…and then other times I just feel sort of emotionless.” He smiles sadly. “I didn’t even cry when he left. I wasn’t happy but…I wasn’t sad either. And I didn’t really feel the need to run after him…” Historia hums softly.

“I think that you may have at one point but something changed…and now you don’t. Sometimes it takes time to realize that and I understand how it could be frustrating for him to spend so much time on your relationship and feel like he got nothing out of it but it’ll be better this way. For the both of you.” She rests a small, reassuring hand on top of Reiner's larger one. “Figuring things out late is a lot better than committing to an unhappy relationship for the rest of your life.” Reiner nods in agreement. She’s made him feel better about himself, like not everything is always his fault, and that’s exactly the kind of comfort he was looking for right now.

“Why do you care so much?” Historia sighs softly before shifting her gaze back to the window as if she doesn’t actually want to answer the question.

“There was a guy that lived here a few years ago…really sweet but I don’t remember ever seeing him without a black eye.” Reiner winces and Bertholdt shares his sentiment. He doesn’t want to hear about what his life was like from someone else’s perspective. “We were friends. Whenever I would hear the door slam, I knew his boyfriend had finally left and I’d come over as soon as his car had left the lot.” Historia looks like she could cry. “I miss him.”

“What happened to him?” Bertholdt nervously walks to the other side of the room. He wonders if she'll tell him the truth. Historia doesn’t answer so Reiner waves a broad hand in front of her face, shaking her out of a trance she hadn’t realized she’d entered.

“O-oh he umm…he moved.”

“Did he ever get away from that guy?”

“Yeah, I think so.” Historia hums softly before pretending to hear someone call her name. “Oh, sounds like my girlfriend's home.” She stands and is halfway across the room when she waves. “Talk to you later?”

“See ya.” He smiles as she leaves but it falls after she's gone. He hadn’t heard anything and is almost skeptical of how she had. Reiner spends the rest of his night trying to figure out why Historia had ended their conversation so abruptly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reiner learns more than he wanted to know and Bertholdt plays tour guide.

Everything is back to normal after Reiner's little hiccup with his boyfriend. The boyfriend doesn’t come around anymore and from what Bert can tell, he really did end it with Reiner the night of their argument. Reiner's routine continues and Bertholdt both loves the calmness of it but almost hates the monotony. Perhaps the thing he worries about the most is how unaffected the blonde really was by the cessation of a two-year relationship.

Living with someone and being invisible has its perks. It gives Bertholdt the opportunity to closely observe people in their environments. When he observes the man he’s living with now, the first word that comes to mind is “boring”. He’s had tenants with weird fetishes, a tenant who would only eat potatoes for every meal, and even a tenant who competed in advanced dog grooming competitions but he’s never had anyone as stuck to their routine as this guy is.

Bertholdt takes it upon himself to disrupt that routine. He starts with little things like shifting decorations fractions of an inch every day. After a few days, he adds furniture into the equation. There isn’t any effect until three days later when the difference is actually noticeable and Reiner starts accidentally bumping his hips and elbows into the tables. Bertholdt grins wide every time he hears a thud, usually followed by an expletive.

One day, he even goes as far as fixing the lock while Reiner is at work. Bertholdt sits excitedly when he hears a hand on the knob. Reiner shoulders in as usual only to come flying across the room due to the unneeded force and Bertholdt rolls back against the arm of the couch with laughter as the blonde attempts to regain his wits. Marco pops through the floor with a grin. “Decided to haunt him out, did we?” Bert's laughter dies down and he turns to the other brunet with a grin.

“Nah, just having some fun.” Marco pulls himself through the rest of the floor to sit beside Bert.

“Ah, I see. Nothing too dangerous, I hope. We don't need another person stuck here.” Bertholdt shakes his head before crossing his legs.

“I’m not doing anything harmful…just fun little things like moving the furniture and fixing the stuck lock. He's boring.” Bertholdt pouts before clasping his hands over his stomach and tipping his head over the armrest. “Someone has  to make it fun around here.” Marco smiles before sliding closer.

“Ah, I see. It isn’t often that _you're_ bored so this guy must really be a wet blanket, huh?” Bertholdt hums softly.

“You’ve got that right…wake up, go to work, go to the gym, come home, read or watch TV. That’s it. That’s all he does.” Marco laughs as he watches the blonde cross the room to get dinner started.

“Oh my God, are you _serious_? A guy like _that_ …” Marco takes a moment to admire the man from across the room and Bertholdt kicks him softly in the thigh to bring his attention back. “Sorry…so, he doesn’t do _anything_ else? Like that’s all?” Bertholdt nods in response.

“Sometimes he'll talk to Historia but that’s it.”

“Wow. So he might not have an interesting life…but at least he’s nice to look at, right?” Marco grins wide and Bert sits up to swat him playfully on the arm.

“Marco!” Marco laughs as he shies away from the taller man.

“ _What_? Don’t tell me you haven’t looked.”

“I haven’t!” Bertholdt laughs softly. “I promise. He's handsome but you know I don’t like to creep on people…unlike _someone_ I know.”

“Yeah, yeah. Alright, I get it.” Marco rolls his eyes and crosses his arms as a playful smile pulls at the corners of his lips. Bert returns the smile before stretching his legs out and propping them up on the coffee table.

“Where’s your other half?” The other brunet shrugs before reclining as well.

“In the basement.”

“Ahh, hanging out with all the cool kids, is he?” Marco snorts at that.

“Sure, if you want to call them that.”

“What? Are you saying Connie and Sasha aren’t cool?”

“They’re eccentric.”

“Are you saying that eccentricity is a bad thing?” Bertholdt cocks an inquiring yet amused eyebrow at the man beside him.

“No, it’s just kind of difficult to get their sense of humor sometimes.”

“Yeah…but what about Ymir, huh? You saying _she_ isn’t cool?”

“Alright, yeah. She’s pret-“ Reiner sits with his usual beer in his usual spot on the couch, which happens to be right where Marco is sitting. Bertholdt covers his mouth as he laughs. He had seen it coming but he thought it would be funny if he kept quiet and he was right. “You know what…since I was so rudely interrupted, I’m just going to go ahead and make my way back down to the basement.” Small giggles are still escaping from Bert as Marco begins to sink through the couch and into the floor “Care to join?”

“Nah, I think I’ll just stay here.”

“Alright, suit yourself. Have fun with your stick in the mud.” Marco waves before finally disappearing.

 

* * *

 

 

It’s days like these, sickeningly hot and humid, that Bertholdt wishes he could still feel the breeze of the wind against his skin. Although he can’t feel temperature, he knows how hot it must be and he can almost feel how miserable it is inside the un-air-conditioned apartment. The windows have been open since eight this morning and the walls have been sweating their moisture out all day. Reiner has been fixing items the landlord has neglected to fix himself, shirtless and practically standing in a pool of his own sweat. Bertholdt had felt bad for him when the blonde had emerged from the bedroom this morning, clothes soaked with his own sweat. It’s a dreadful feeling that he knows all too well.

The door is wide open to let the air from the open lobby doors in and Reiner has been chatting with Historia from across the hall throughout the day. It’s a nice, peaceful Saturday and Bertholdt has been relaxing by the window as he listens to their friendly banter. He hears a pop and a thud come from whatever Reiner's been fixing in the kitchen and then it’s silent. Reiner clears his throat before raising his voice. “Hey!” Bertholdt doesn’t hear Historia answer and Reiner repeats himself louder. The brunet bristles when he feels a hand grip his forearm tightly and roughly spin him around. “Who the hell are you and how’d you get in here?” Bertholdt would’ve had a heart attack if he weren't already dead.

His fight or flight kicks in and he ends up phasing through the wall until he's floating just outside the window. Reiner looks at him in pure bewilderment before taking a few steps back. Bertholdt takes a moment to try and figure out how Reiner was able to see him until he looks behind the blonde to find him, or rather his body, laying on the floor. _Oh. Oh no._

Historia calls his name and Bert can hear her tiny footsteps crossing her own apartment when he doesn’t answer. Dread fills the pit of his stomach as he watches Reiner face to turn the doorway. He takes a few steps back towards the window when he sees himself laying on the floor and Bertholdt knows the blonde is about to panic. “Holy shit, what the fuck?” He presses the palms of his hands into his eyes and rubs them hard, as if this is all a dream, before taking another step back and accidentally falling through the wall.

Bertholdt rushes out and catches him to push him back through and onto his feet, hopefully saving him from another panic attack. Historia had checked out the situation and is now on the phone with emergency services. She seems upset, as anyone would be, but is otherwise pretty calm. Bertholdt finds himself growing sad for her. Her reaction reveals how unsettlingly familiar she is with loss.

Reiner's looking between Historia and Bert, clearly overwhelmed with this entire situation. “No…no, I’m not…” He quickly turns to Bertholdt with wide eyes. “A-are you…God?” Bertholdt can’t keep himself from laughing at that.

“No, not at all…I’m just the guy who lives here.” Reiner nods slowly.

“Okay but…I’m the guy who lives here.”

“Well, in that case, I’m the guy who died here.” Reiner's legs go weak beneath him and he leans against the wall, making sure to catch it this time.

“Oh man, so I’m really…oh fuck.” He presses his hands to his eyes again and Bertholdt can’t help but feel sorry for him. “No…I’m…I’m just dreaming. I have to be.” He shakes his head as he paces around the dining room table. Bertholdt decides to leave as Reiner continues to panic. He knows better than anyone that what the blonde needs right now is support but he’s going to have to accept what’s happened to him first.

 

* * *

 

 

Bertholdt returns after nearly a week to check in on how Reiner is doing. It looks like the furniture has already been cleared out and the apartment is empty for the first time in four months. There are no signs of the blonde in the main living area so Bert's next destination is the bedroom. He finds Reiner tucked away in a corner. Bertholdt is surprised to find that he's no longer shirtless, meaning he’s already learned how to change his form. “Hey…you doing alright?” Reiner shrugs but he won’t make eye contact.

“Why can’t I leave? How does any of this even work?” It seems he’s finished grieving the loss of his own life and has moved on to confusion. Bertholdt is glad it isn’t anger. Angry ghosts can be a bit harder to handle.

“I know this is a lot to process at first and you probably have a lot of question. Maybe I could start answering them by showing you around?” Bert has never had to do this before but he tries his best to copy what Marco had done for him after he had died. Reiner hesitates for a moment before finally nodding. “Alright, so I see you’ve already learned how to change your form…”

Reiner nods again before standing. “It wasn’t too hard…didn’t take me too long to figure out.”

“Yeah, you just have to put your mind to it really. A lot of this stuff works on the basis of intent so I think you'll get the hang of it in no time.” Bertholdt takes a step towards the door. “I’ve never done this before so I’m sorry if I’m a shitty tour guide…” Bert leads him into what used to be the dining room before pausing to face him.

“So umm…you’ve been here this whole time?” The brunet nods as he phases through the wall before waiting for Reiner on the other side. It takes a moment for Reiner to figure it out and Bertholdt smiles when he sees the tip of a foot poke through. The rest of Reiner stumbles through a moment later. “Hmm…so what you’re telling me is that I’ve had a ghost peeping on me for the past four months?”

“I don’t _peep_. I just live here. Don’t worry, I gave you privacy even though you didn’t know I was here.”

“Alright…I guess I’ll take your word for it. I’m not sure how much I should trust you given I don’t even know your name… or really _anything_ about you.” Bertholdt chuckles softly before taking a few steps out to the sidewalk.

“It’s Bertholdt…and we can talk about the details later. Maybe after I’ve shown you around?” Reiner nods in response before following the brunet across the sidewalk to the curb.

“That’s quite the traditional name you’ve got there. How long have you been like this?” Bert snorts softly.

“What, dead? Only five years…And I’d like to have you know that your name isn’t too modern either, buddy.”

“Ahh, yeah. Guess it isn’t.”

“Sounds like the name of an old German grandpa.” Reiner laughs and Bert is glad that he’s getting more comfortable.

“Oh, and yours doesn’t?”

“No, mine does. But at least I’m willing to admit it.” Bertholdt takes a few steps out into the road before turning back to look at the blonde. “Watch.” He sticks his arm out straight and Reiner starts to come closer once he sees the brunet's fingertips fade to white. He sticks his own hand out only to be met with an invisible wall. He frowns and furrows his brow.

“How are you doing that?” Bertholdt shrugs before pulling his hand back in.

“I’m not doing it on purpose. I guess it just means I’m ready to leave. I was stuck in the glass box up until about a year ago.”

“If you can leave then why don’t you?” Reiner presses his fingertips to the invisible surface a second time before dropping his hand to his side.

“There are a few reasons but I guess the biggest one is that I just don’t want to leave…I like it here. I have friends and it’s comfortable.” Reiner frowns slightly as he steps away from his boundary. He’s jealous of Bert's ability to leave and he’s somewhat upset that the brunet is taking it for granted.

“So what does it take to be ‘ready’…?”

“I’m not too sure but I think it has something to do with coming to terms with your death or satisfying an unfulfilled circumstance. Something like that.” Reiner snorts before shaking his head.

“That sounds _so_ cliché.”

“Well, sometimes there’s a little bit of truth in cliché. After all, the tropes have to originate somewhere…probably from people who were able to see ghosts.”

“There are people who have supernatural powers like that, huh?” Bertholdt shrugs as he leads Reiner around to the front of the apartment building, smiling when he sees Jean and Marco in their usual spot.

“I wouldn’t call them 'powers', really. I’ve heard that it comes from having a near-death experience.” Reiner opens his mouth to speak but Bert interrupts him. “And yes, I know that sounds cliché too.” Reiner shrugs and Bertholdt can tell he’s still having a hard time believing any of this.

“Who're they?” He points across the lawn to Jean and Marco and Bert looks between them with a smile.

“Friends. Come on, I’ll take you to meet them.” Bertholdt motions for Reiner to follow him as he walks towards the two men at the curb, a bit of excitement apparent in his step. Marco grins up at him as he approaches but it falls and his eyebrows shoot up once he gets a good look at who's following the brunet. Jean turns his attention to what his boyfriend is looking at before quickly turning back with a snicker.

“Guess if you can’t find a boyfriend in the afterlife, you’ve gotta bring one here instead.” Bert's eyes widen and he kicks Jean lightly in the shin before placing a finger over his mouth. He'll explain the situation later but for now, he needs his troublemaking friends to keep quiet. Bertholdt quickly introduces them before turning back to Reiner.

“Hi, you can call me Reiner.” He shoves his hands in his pockets before shifting his weight to one leg. “So, how’d you guys die?” Bertholdt looks nervously between Reiner and his friends. He knows Jean and Marco typically don’t like talking about it since it usually starts an argument. “Umm…sorry if that’s an inappropriate thing to ask. I’m kind of new to this.” Reiner chuckles nervously once he realizes the change in the atmosphere around him. Marco speaks first, a polite smile spreading across his face as he stands.

“Oh, don’t worry about it.” He holds his hand out to shake the blonde's before nervously looking at his boyfriend who is still sitting silently on the curb. “Motorcycle accident. Eight years ago. You?”

“Umm…I’m not too sure but I think I accidentally got myself electrocuted about a week ago. The last thing I remember is that I was working on one of the electrical  outlets.” Marco nods slowly before turning to Bertholdt.

“Hey, you know Historia usually has a few recent newspapers lying around…maybe you should take him there next, see if there’s an obituary.” Bertholdt pats Jean on the shoulder as he passes him to face Marco.

“Alright, thanks for the help. See ya later?”

“Yeah, I’ll let you know when is good.” Bert smiles with a polite wave before leading Reiner back towards the apartment building. Reiner phases through the wall without a problem this time and clears his throat once he’s on the other side.

“So…what’s up with them?” Bertholdt sighs as he leads Reiner a few more doors down to Historia's apartment.

“It’s a long story, really. To make it short, Jean was driving and Marco blames him for the accident but Jean says Marco was being distracting and he blames him for it.”  Reiner hums softly in response. “Just try not to bring it up again. They'll forget about it for a while but then fight about it when it’s brought up again.”

“Ahh, sorry. I didn’t mean to cause a problem.”

“No, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it. You didn’t know and it isn’t anything they can’t deal with.” Bertholdt searches the apartment for any signs of Historia's presence, smiling when he finds that she’s gone. He finds a stack of newspapers beside the refrigerator and grabs the one on top before checking the date. It’s still from this week so he skims through the obituary page, setting it aside when he comes up with nothing.

“Are you holding that the same way we do the wall stuff?”

“Yep.” Bert gives a short answer as he reads.

“Can I try?” Bertholdt hands the next newspaper to Reiner.

“Go ahead. Just be on guard. If Historia comes back, we'll have to put them away pretty quickly so she doesn’t catch a couple of newspapers floating around in her kitchen.”  Bertholdt hands him the paper and Reiner frowns when it falls to the floor. He bends to pick it up but starts to sink through the floor when his fingers make contact. The brunet laughs softly. “I know it’s hard to do more than one thing at a time but I believe in you.” Reiner grumbles before pulling his feet back through the floor and picking up the paper. He flips to the obituaries page and skims over it quickly before placing it on top of the stack and holding his hand out for another.

Bertholdt holds his finger out for a moment, his eyes glued to the paper in his own hands. “Hold on, I think I found it. Reiner Braun, 22.” He scans over the obituary for the cause of death. “Looks like cardiac arrest caused by electrocution.” Reiner raises his eyebrows before coming closer to read.

“Damn…It really says that much?”

“Actually, it says 'Passed onto the Lord last Saturday after suffering a severe heart attack.’ but since the last thing you remember was working on an electrical outlet, I’m gonna go out on a limb and say it was the electrocution's fault.” Reiner nods slowly as he leans against the edge of the counter.

“Guess I should’ve double-checked to make sure it wasn’t live before I stuck the screwdriver in.” Bertholdt holds back a laugh as he returns the stack of papers to its original state.

“Are you fucking kidding me? I know I’ve only really known you for about a day now but you've been living in my apartment for four months and, forgive me if I’m wrong, but you seem to come across as the type of guy who has a surplus of common sense.” Reiner shrugs as a slightly embarrassed smile plays at his lips.

“Hey, I’m a mechanic; not an electrician. How was I supposed to know it was still live? The only reason I was trying to fix it was because it hadn’t been working for two weeks.”  They both look up when they hear a key in the lock before deciding to head back to the apartment across the hall, hoping to refrain from accidentally disturbing Historia. “Damn, I really fucked everything up, huh?” Bertholdt sits in his usual spot by the windowsill.

“Don’t blame yourself…accidents happen. Look at it this way, you may not have lived long but you still managed to live longer than I did.” Bert flashes Reiner a comforting smile from across the room.

“Oh?”

“Not by much though…I was twenty-one.” Reiner hums softly before coming closer to sit beside the man who had only been a stranger a few hours ago. He thinks he could consider him a friend by now.

“So you’re like, what? 26 now?” The brunet frowns slightly and scoffs as he crosses his arms.

“ _No_. I’m 21. Ghosts don’t age, dummy.” Reiner laughs softly. He had felt horrible for the first few days after his death but it seems to have subsided. It’s comforting to know that he isn’t alone.

“Okay, but technically…”

“No. No technicalities. I refuse.” Reiner smiles as he holds his hands up in surrender.

“Alright, alright.” The blonde is silent as he looks around the now empty apartment. He hums softly before turning to face Bert again. “So…how did you…y'know… _go_?” He does his best to reword what he’s really trying to say. He doesn’t want it to come off as rude as it may have with Jean and Marco. Bertholdt opens his mouth to speak but hesitates. The taller man nervously runs a hand through his hair as an awkward smile pulls at his lips.

“I-I don’t remember…” There’s something odd in the way he had answered and Reiner can’t help but wonder if he really can’t remember or if he just doesn’t want to.


	3. Chapter 3

“I’m sorry, they do _what_?” Bertholdt grins wide as he readjusts to stretch his legs out. The sky is dark now and he’s been talking with Reiner for the better part of four hours.

“Mhmm…you heard me right.”

“Ghosts can do that kind of stuff?”

“Well, with each other, yeah. Ghosts are tangible to other ghosts but things in the living world are only tangible if we really want them to be. That being said, living things can’t really feel us even if we're touching them. It kind of feels like a passing breeze. We’re just on a separate plane of existence right now.” Reiner nods slowly as he takes in the new information.

“Ahh, I see. So…do you know from experience? Have you tried touching people before?”

“Yeah, I usually haunt people I don’t like out of the apartment. The first few times I did it, I’d try to spook them by tapping their shoulders and other silly stuff but no one has ever reacted to it.”

“You must not have ever tried to haunt me. Nothing or I guess _no_ _one_ , ever bothered me.” Reiner smiles wide, showing off his full set of perfect teeth in the process. The charming smile catches Bert off guard and he takes a second to collect himself, momentarily stunned by that dangerous weapon of Reiner's. Bertholdt looks away quickly as he shakes his head. He won’t fall for this guy just because he’s the only single dead guy within his area.

“Nah, that’s not it. You’re just boring.” Bertholdt laughs softly when he hears the blonde gasp. “Sorry, I’m telling it how it is.”

“ _Boring_?” Reiner scoffs. “I’m not boring.”

“Quick, tell me what the last spontaneous thing you did was.” Reiner opens his mouth to speak but closes it as he thinks. He furrows his brow with a frown.

“Umm...dying…Huh, guess I _am_ boring.” The blonde slumps down the wall before running a hand through his hair. Bertholdt frowns in response to Reiner's reaction. He feels guilty for making the blonde feel bad.

“Hey…boring isn’t bad. You never caused any trouble so I never had a problem with you living here. That’s a good thing, right?” Bert softly rests his hand on Reiner's bicep with a smile.

“Alright, yeah. I suppose.” Reiner returns the smile before shrugging the brunet's hand away. “So…besides fucking in strangers' apartments, what else is there to do around here?” Bertholdt hums softly.

“Well, not much I suppose. There are a few others in the basement who like to just hang out down there and tell stories and the like. I’ll have to take you to meet them sometime. Umm…Jean and Marco also like to eavesdrop on and gossip about the tenants…” He stretches his legs out before shrugging. “Maybe I shouldn’t have judged you for being boring…now that I think about it, it sounds like we're pretty boring too.” Reiner turns to look at the man beside him with a frown.

“It doesn’t sound too bad but…you never told me what _you_ like to do. Only what everyone else likes.” Bertholdt is a bit taken aback at that. He’s not used to being asked about himself specifically. He laughs nervously before sliding his hands against the carpet.

“Oh, uhh…I-I don’t really matter though. I’m probably the most boring of all.” He laughs again as he pulls his hands back into his lap before sadly staring down at them. “Marco was even surprised when I told him that I thought you were boring.” Reiner frowns again, harder this time, before shifting closer. He looks concerned and Bertholdt decides that he really is too kind for his own good.

“Hey, everyone matters…even if you don’t think you do. I figured since I’m going to be here for a while, I should probably get to know you a little better. Now…what do you like to do around here?” Bertholdt smiles politely.

“Well…umm…I guess I just mess with people.”

“So…you haunt them?”

“Yeah, I suppose so. Just not so much that it’s noticeable. It’s fun. I’ll have to teach you how to do it sometime.” Reiner smiles as he nods in response.

“I like causing mischief. Could you give me an example?” Bertholdt smiles before nervously twiddling his thumbs.

“Well...sometimes I move decorations and furniture. Just a little bit to one side each day…it isn’t noticeable since it’s a gradual change and it’s funny when the tenant starts to run into things.” Reiner's eyes narrow as he turns to give the taller man a suspicious look.

“ _You_ …I can’t tell you how long my shin was bruised after my first run-in with the coffee table and don’t even get me started on my poor little toes.” Bert can’t hold back the sheepish grin that’s spreading across his face. He knows he should feel ashamed or even a little remorseful for doing something that caused bodily harm to a living person but he knows Reiner never would’ve gotten seriously injured. The blonde is just being dramatic.

“Sorry about that.”

“And the door!” Bertholdt laughs softly to himself.

“Yeah, the door was me too.” Reiner frowns before crossing his arms and Bertholdt laughs again, this time at Reiner's continuing dramatic display. “Hey, I thought you liked mischief…”

“I do…just not when I’m the one being picked on.”

“Well, of course not, silly! No one likes being picked on. But did you know you were being picked on at the moment?”

“No…I just thought my coordination had gotten worse.” A faint smile begins to pull at Reiner's lips. “Alright, I guess it didn’t really affect me all that much.” Bert returns the smile.

“Good. See, no harm done.” It’s comfortably silent for a moment and Reiner sighs. He had never really believed in an afterlife before he had died but now that he knows it exists, he's grateful for the company. He isn’t sure what he would’ve done if he were all alone here.

“You said there were others?” Bertholdt hums softly.

“Yep, three more. Connie, Sasha, and Ymir hang out in the basement and I don’t think I’ve ever seen them come up from there.”

“Cool…do I get to meet them?” Bert sighs through his nose as he stretches his legs out.

“You can do whatever you want but I’m pretty comfortable right now so you’re on your own it seems.” Reiner frowns in response.

“You don’t like showing me around?” The brunet shrugs in response.

“It's not that. I just don’t feel like moving right now. If you’re willing to wait, we can do it tomorrow.” Reiner thinks about it for a moment before nodding.

“Alright. I’ll wait.” Bertholdt closes his eyes to rest when it quiets down again but he’s only granted a few minutes of silence before Reiner is speaking again. He figures he was this way too after he had just died; lonely and seeking comfort in companionship. “Hey, Bert…?” Bertholdt groans before rolling his head to look at the man beside him.

“Please don’t make me sound older than I already am.”

“Your name is long, dude. I’m just trying to shorten it comfortably. How about Bertl?” Bertholdt nods slowly.

“Alright, yeah. I’m fine with that one. What did you need?”

“Can ghosts sleep?” Bert hums softly as he slides down the wall to lie flat on his back before crossing his arms beneath his head.

“No, not really. You can kind of trick yourself by laying down and closing your eyes and since it feels so natural, time kind of feels like it’s going by quicker.”

“Ahh…is that what you’re doing now?”

“Mhmm.”

“You want me to be quiet?” A faint smile crosses Bert's face.

“Mhmm.”

 

* * *

 

 

Reiner is gone when Bertholdt decides to stop resting. He wonders where the blonde has gone considering he really has nowhere to go. He sits upright and stretches out of habit. Bertholdt stands and looks out the window behind himself only to see the road before treading across the room to look through the other window. He finds Reiner by the sidewalk with his hands pressed against the barrier. _He looks sad_ , Bertholdt thinks. He feels bad for the blond. He remembers all too well how terrible it can be during the first few weeks of being stuck here.

Bertholdt decides to leave him be, hoping to give him a chance to figure some things out on his own. Instead of going outside to bother Reiner, he decides to head over to Historia's apartment. Bertholdt had become accustomed to having more to do than just sitting around when Reiner was alive and now he finds himself quickly growing bored in his own apartment. It doesn’t seem that she’s home but the television is still on so she couldn’t have gone too far. Bertholdt perches on one end of the couch before stretching his legs out and reclining back. He decides to watch the sitcom that’s on for just a little longer before returning to his own place. Bert doesn’t usually leave his own apartment in favor of someone else's and he'd hate to make a habit of it now.

Luckily for him, the show that’s on is kind of boring and he gets tired of it quickly. After about ten minutes, Bertholdt crosses the hall to check for Reiner in his own apartment. When he isn’t there, he looks out each window to find the blonde nowhere in sight. Bertholdt almost wonders if he had gone downstairs to meet Ymir, Connie, and Sasha on his own. He checks outside one more time before deciding to head downstairs. He phases through the wall and heads down the hall before making a turn at the end to walk down the basement stairs.

Bertholdt likes doing it the old-fashioned way instead of just phasing through the floor and into the basement. He feels more human, like he could still be _alive_ , when he takes the time to walk places normally. He can already hear muffled voices floating up the stairwell and he smiles, happy that Reiner is doing things on his own. It’s good for him. It’ll be harder for him to cope and move on if he’s hanging on to Bertholdt all the time.

As he gets closer, the voices start to sound a little more feminine and Bert wonders if it’s only Ymir and Sasha hanging out today. Maybe Reiner and Connie went elsewhere to do “guy stuff” whatever that entails when you’re confined to a designated area and virtually unable to do anything on a physical plane. Bertholdt creeps down a little further to find Historia folding her laundry. She hums softly but stops once she’s finished folding the shirt in her hands. She begins to speak softly and Bertholdt curiously raises an eyebrow as he tilts his head in search of a cell phone.

The mystery is solved when Ymir speaks up from a blind spot in the corner of the room. It seems like she had answered Historia's question. _No…certainly not_ , Bertholdt thinks. He quietly backtracks up the stairs until he knows he can’t be seen. “Have those two goofballs outside been staying away from your place?” It's Ymir speaking now and Bertholdt is almost certain that Historia can hear her. She smiles with a soft laugh.

“Yeah. I told you not to worry about them.”

“I know, I know. But I also know what they do in their free time and I don’t want them ruining your nice, expensive furniture.” Historia shrugs as she starts folding another shirt.

“It won’t ruin my 'expensive' furniture.” She rolls her eyes. “It isn’t like they can actually get anything on it.” Ymir crosses her arms defensively before stepping closer. Bertholdt shifts further back in hopes of remaining unseen.

“I know but it’s still gross…” She caresses the blonde's arm gently before leaning closer. Ymir presses a soft kiss to her forehead and Historia frowns in response.

“You know I can’t feel that.” Their voices fade away as Bertholdt phases through the ceiling above him and into some old storage closet on the first floor. He takes a moment to collect his thoughts once he’s absolutely certain he’s found some privacy. No one should be able to see him unless they come looking for him. Bertholdt thinks back to all the times that Historia had come over to spend time with Reiner or when they would just leave their doors open to talk. He had thought it was weird that she looked through his windows so often and now he knows that it wasn’t the windows she was looking at; it was him.

A surge of anxiety rushes through Bertholdt. It's a sensation he hasn’t felt in a long time and it catches him off guard. It’s a feeling that should’ve died with him and he truly thought it had. After years of neglecting living habits such as breathing and sleeping, he would’ve thought that this one would be gone as well. He isn’t sure why he can still feel his chest tightening as his heart hammers away and the dizziness that always used to come with attacks like these. He wonders if his body is just reacting in the only way it knows how.

Bertholdt reminds himself that he's in control. He's in charge of anything his form does, whether it’s subconscious or not. It doesn't take him long to calm down after that. Bert leans back against the wall as he tries to decide whether he should tell the others or not. _Maybe they already know_ , he thinks, _maybe_ _I'm the only one out of the loop_. Bertholdt convinces himself that that can't be the case. There's no way Jean and Marco could keep a secret like that.

He decides he'll have to tell them. He would feel guilty if he didn't. Bertholdt emerges from the closet before quickly heading down the hall and phasing through the front door of his apartment. Reiner still isn’t back from wherever he had gone this morning. Bertholdt calls out for him once before trying louder a second time. The blonde pops his head through the ceiling above Bertholdt, giving the taller man quite the scare.

Bertholdt clutches his chest as he stumbles back. “Oh, shit. Please don’t do that.” Reiner grins wide as he phases through the ceiling and continues to float upside down.

“Why? Did I _scare_ you?” Bertholdt crosses his arms as he rolls his eyes. “I’ll take that as a yes. Anyway…what did you need from me?” Bert leans against the kitchen counter as Reiner turns himself upright.

“I need to talk to you…where have you been all day?” He pauses for a moment before catching himself. “N-not that I really care or anything…just curious.” Bertholdt isn’t sure why he doesn’t want Reiner to know that he’s been thinking about him but he may as well commit to the careless façade he’s been putting on. Reiner's brow furrows with worry. He hops up onto the counter next to Bert.

“I’ve just been enjoying the view from the roof with the guys…is something wrong?”

“Well…not exactly.” The blonde frowns as he begins to twiddle his thumbs.

“Please tell me that you haven’t decided to leave.” Bertholdt cocks an eyebrow in Reiner's direction before chuckling softly.

“No. Why? Did someone tell you I had?”

“No but…you said you needed to talk and it didn’t sound like it was about something good. I’m still kind of new to this and I'd really hate to see my new friend disappear on me.” Bertholdt smiles politely but otherwise doesn’t address the fact that Reiner considers him a friend.

“I’m not leaving. It’s something else.” Reiner nods slowly as he waits for Bert to continue speaking. “So you know how I said some people can see ghosts?” The blonde leans closer curiously before humming in affirmation.

“Yeah…do you know someone who can?”

“Historia. At least, I’m pretty sure. I went searching for you in the basement and I found her talking and interacting with Ymir.” Reiner’s eyebrows shoot up in mild surprise.

“We were just in her apartment the other day…” Bert nods slowly.

“It’s a good thing we left before she came back, huh?”

“She was so calm when she found me…she knew…she could see us the whole time.” He frowns before hopping off of the counter. “I want to talk to her.” Bertholdt hastily follows Reiner before gripping his forearm lightly.

“I’m not so sure that’s a good idea…I think she wants to keep it a secret. I mean, why else would she ignore our presence like she has?” Reiner frowns as he takes a step away from the door. “I’m sure she means well and there’s more than likely a reason why she wants to keep it a secret so don’t take it personally, okay?” He nods slowly before returning to his spot on the counter.

“Do Jean and Marco know?” Bert hums to himself.

“No, I don’t think so…I was going to tell them but now I’m not so sure.”  The brunet chuckles softly. “You haven’t been here long but I’m sure you’ve gotten a pretty good feel for how much they like to gossip and eavesdrop. I’ll really be surprised if they don’t already know…but now I’m wondering why they’ve never told me.” Reiner simply shrugs in response.

“Maybe they don’t know. The only way to find out is to talk to them about it.” Bertholdt frowns slightly.

“Yeah, I know…but I hold a certain respect for Historia. I was friends with her when I was alive too and y’know…if she hasn’t made it known to either of us then she probably hasn’t made it known to them and I don’t want to breach her privacy like that. I’ll forget what I saw and you forget that I told you. deal?” The blonde smiles politely.

“Alright. Deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this chapter took so long! I'm working full time again so what I was expecting to only take a week and a half actually took three whole weeks. :')


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reiner makes some new friends and discovers that he might not know as much about Bertholdt as he thinks he does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I owe you guys a sincere apology for playing WoW and Sonic Spinball instead of writing. Lmfao I promise I'm still here

They had decided not to meet with the others until later, just in case Historia was still busy downstairs. Instead, Reiner had taken Bertholdt up to the spot on the roof where he had been sitting with Jean and Marco earlier. Bert never really spends any time there but the longer he sits with his legs dangling over the edge of the building, the more he thinks he should change that. _I really should get out of the apartment more than I do_. “Bertl?” Bertholdt looks away from the skyline to turn his attention to the man beside him.

“Yeah?”

“What were things like when you were living? Like what were your hobbies? What did you do around here?” Bertholdt shrugs before looking away again.

“I didn’t really do much…the apartment was still really the only place I spent time in. I didn’t have many friends, just Historia, and she lived across the hall so I didn’t have a need to leave very often.”

“Alright well in that case, what did you like to do around the apartment?” Bertholdt shrugs casually.

“I liked to cook and read. Sometimes I would draw or write…even though I wasn’t very good at the writing part.” He chuckles softly. “I wasn’t allowed much else.” Reiner furrows his brow in mild confusion.

“What do you mean _allowed_?” The brunet stiffens. He hadn’t realized he'd let that much of his personal life slip. _Damn_ , he thinks, _I really need to be more careful…guess there’s no hiding it now_. Bertholdt hates talking about what his last relationship was like but he admits to himself that he can’t keep running from it like this. He just hopes that Reiner doesn’t take pity on him. That’s the part he hates the most about retelling his life.

Bertholdt sighs as he reluctantly turns to face Reiner. "Do you remember that time Historia told you about the guy that used to live in your apartment?" The blonde takes a moment to remember what conversation Bert is talking about. It's been a while now and he's having a little trouble remembering. Bert changes his form to reveal the black eye he had died with. Historia was right; she'd never seen him without it and now he’s stuck with it forever. Reiner gasps before slowly bringing a hand up as if he were going to touch it.

Bertholdt quickly changes his form to hide it away again before shifting away from Reiner's hand. The blonde lowers his hand back to his own side before taking a moment to study the brunet’s expression. “It was you…Bertl, I-“

“Stop. I don’t need you feeling sorry for me.” Bertholdt holds his hands out in hopes of keeping Reiner at a fair distance from himself. Reiner frowns in response to Bert's stern tone.

“I’m sorry if I upset you. I didn’t mean to pry.”

“Its fine, I just…I don’t know…I haven’t talked about it for a while. I hope you understand…I’m sorry that I got shitty with you.” Reiner smiles softly as he stands.

“Don’t worry about it, you don’t need to apologize.” Bertholdt nods slowly before mumbling a soft “thanks”. Reiner holds his hand out to help the brunet up but Bert stands without the assistance.

“I don’t mean to be rude or anything but I don’t really like being touched. Like, at all.” Reiner hums as he withdraws his hand.

“Alright. Thanks for letting me know. I’ll make sure to mind my personal space.” The blonde smiles politely before taking a step back. Bertholdt returns the smile before turning to head back towards the stairwell.

“Ready to go meet the others?” Reiner follows with a nod.

“Yeah…why don’t we just go the shorter way?” Bert shrugs as he phases through the door and starts to walk down the steps.

“I don’t like it as much. It feels more natural to just walk down the stairs.”

“Ahh, I see. Can’t argue with that.” He follows the brunet down five flights of stairs before coming to a stop in front of the basement door. He notices that Bertholdt is hesitating. “What’s up?” Bert frowns as he drops his hand from the doorknob.

“I feel kind of guilty about eavesdropping earlier.” Reiner flashes his new friend a reassuring smile.

“Hey, don’t sweat it. You didn’t mean to.” Bertholdt nods as he grips the doorknob with renewed confidence.

“Right. I didn’t mean to.” He chuckles softly. “I’m not sure what would happen to me if I were like…you-know-who. I'd hate to know what eternal guilt feels like.” Bert looks around suspiciously. He knows Marco is probably lurking around here somewhere. He turns the knob before taking the first step.

“Maybe the guilty conscience disappears after doing it for so long.” Bertholdt smiles back at Reiner as the blonde follows him.

“Yeah, probably.” There’s laughter flowing up the stairwell and Bertholdt knows for sure that everyone is down here this time. He holds his hand out to motion for Reiner to wait before peeking his head around the corner. Ymir, Sasha, and Connie are sitting atop a cluster of washers and dryers as they converse loudly. Bertholdt raises his voice once he realizes his general presence hadn’t gotten their attention. “Hey, guys.”

Ymir is the first to look up from the conversation. "Oh...hey, Bertholdt." She gives him an odd look before hopping off of the dryer she had been sitting on.

"I-is something wrong?" Bert can't help but feel nervous. The guilt of eavesdropping is still getting to him and now he's scared that she somehow knows that he did it.

"Nah. It's just weird to see you down here, is all. You usually stay upstairs." He hums softly as he begins to calm down and smiles when Sasha gives him a soft "hey" from across the room. He waves to her and Connie before turning his attention back to Ymir.

"Well, maybe I'm just branching out..."

"Uh-huh, sure." Ymir grins wide as she leans against the dryer behind her. "So who've you got hiding behind you?"

"Oh umm...about that." Bertholdt turns to find Reiner's head hovering over his own shoulder. "This is Reiner. He's new." Reiner smiles with a wave before following Bertholdt as he walks down the stairs and across the room. "He's a people person so I think you guys should get along just fine." Connie holds out his hand with a friendly smile.

"Hey there, I'm Connie. This is Sasha and that's Ymir." Reiner smiles as he shakes Connie's hand. Sasha speaks up from her spot beside him.

"We were the newest ones here before you."

"But not _too_ new." Connie elaborates. "I think we're getting close to three years now. When did you get here?" Reiner hesitantly climbs onto the washer between Sasha and Connie before answering.

"About a week and a half. Bertholdt's been showing me around. I kind of...died in his apartment." He smiles at the brunet sheepishly. Ymir raises a curious eyebrow as the other two lean closer with interest.

"How? If you don't mind me asking." Sasha shifts to give the blonde more room when he hesitates. "You don't have to tell us if you don't want to or if it's too personal."

"No, it's fine...it's just kind of stupid and embarrassing." Connie chuckles at Reiner's response.

"Oh, don't worry. Ours is too." Reiner pauses for just a moment more before finally answering.

"Well, I uhh...I electrocuted myself. I was doing electrical work but didn't turn the power off before I tried fixing the outlet..." He smiles slightly, still a bit embarrassed. "I thought that since it was broken, it wouldn't shock me but _boy_ was I wrong. And now I'm here. What happened to you guys?" Sasha smiles as she dangles her legs over the edge of the laundry unit.

"House fire. I used to live next door to this place before I burned it down. Turns out I'm not such a great cook and well, Connie is here because he's not such a great firefighter." Reiner turns to the man at his side with a look of excitement.

"Oh wow! You were a firefighter? I always wanted to be one when I was younger but I ended up being a mechanic instead."

"Yeah, but not for long." He laughs softly before nervously scratching behind his ear. "It was my first night as a certified firefighter. I wasn't just a trainee anymore." He shrugs before looking up to smile at Sasha. "I went in to save her and we both ended up getting pinned by a support beam." Reiner winces at the thought. At least his own death had been relatively painless. The blonde takes a moment to look away from the conversation to notice that Bertholdt has been sneakily making his way back up the stairs. The only thing Reiner can do is give him a look that pleads him to stay for just a little bit longer before turning his attention back to Connie.

“Oh man, that must’ve really been the worst.” Sasha hums softly before piping up with a response.

“At first, yeah. But it didn’t take long for either one of us to pass out due to the heat and fumes and stress of it all. It could’ve been worse.”

“So uhh…what do you guys like to do around here?” Reiner is quick to change the subject to something a little less dark. Sasha smiles at Reiner before directing her attention to Bert and motioning for him to sit beside her. He sighs before making his way over. The look Reiner had given him earlier had compelled him enough to remain by the stairs but he decides that maybe he should spend a little more time with the others. He might be in a better mood more often if he doesn’t spend so much time alone. Sasha only continues to speak when she feels the brunet's presence beside her.

“We usually just stay down here and talk.” Reiner laughs softly.

“Okay yeah, that’s what Bertl told me but I figured there must be more to it than that…doesn’t it get boring after so long?” Ymir raises an eyebrow at the use of the nickname but refrains from picking on either of them at the moment. Sasha shrugs.

“Not really. Ymir is like _super_ old so we never run out of stories to exchange.”

“Super old, huh? How old are we talking?” Reiner grins as his attention is drawn to the woman on the other side of Connie. Ymir rolls her eyes and Connie smiles before responding.

“She says she’s been stuck here for something like sixty years but I don’t believe her. After all, if you were here for _that_ long, wouldn’t you have tried to leave by now?” Ymir gives him a playful punch to the shoulder.

“I’ve tried, doofus. I say 'stuck' because I’m genuinely stuck here. I haven’t been able to leave.” Reiner eyes her clothes for a moment as he ponders whether it’s true or not. They look pretty normal; just a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.  It’s pretty hard to gauge her age from just that alone. He decides that he'll have to observe her a little more closely from now on to really find out.

“Like…you can’t get through the wall?” Reiner frowns as he starts to become worried that he might be stuck here for that long too. Ymir gives him a short nod in response.

“Not sure why…I’ve tried a thousand times and I still just can’t get through.” Bertholdt sighs, clearly a bit nervous, before finally taking a moment to speak.

“Is there something that you’re still holding on to? That’s still bothering you?” She shrugs and it’s clear that she’s frustrated.

“No…I don’t think so. And if I am, it must be subconsciously.” Bertholdt nods slowly. He decides to save the topic for another time. Reiner turns his attention away from her as he notices how upset she’s starting to become.

“So what about you guys?” Sasha smiles at Reiner before patting Connie's knee softly.

“I can but he can’t. Neither one of us wants to do it alone so we agreed to leave together.” Reiner smiles back as he looks between them.

“Aww. That’s cute.”

“Oh…u-umm...” Sasha nervously glances at her companion. “It's not like that. We're best friends.” Connie glances back at her with a short nod. He looks lost in thought and Reiner thinks that Connie might feel a bit differently about the situation. Bertholdt shifts awkwardly before hopping off of the unit he had been sitting on. He pauses for a moment before turning to face everyone else.

“Well…it was nice seeing you guys again but I think I’m going to head back upstairs now. Are you coming, Reiner?” Reiner stands to follow and Ymir nods with a smile.

“Alright. See ya later, Bertholdt. I know you don’t care to be around anyone for too long after umm…” She glances at Reiner for a moment, unsure of how much Bertholdt has told him. “…everything...that happened and all but I’m happy you came down to give us a visit. Come see us again soon, okay?” The blonde gives Ymir a curious look at that. He wonders what she’s alluding to but he figures he hasn’t known Bertholdt for long enough for him to be comfortable telling him. 

Reiner wonders if he'll be stuck here for long enough to find out and he can only hope that he won't be stuck here for as long as Ymir has been.


	5. Chapter 5

It only takes two more weeks for Reiner to get fed up with being stuck here. He had thought that it would’ve been easy to hang around and wait but he was wrong. It’s boring. He’s tried to stay in a pleasant mood for the sake of those around him but it’s been challenging. Bertholdt keeps insisting that there has to be something that he’s still holding on to and that’s why he can’t leave but Reiner just can’t see it. He doesn’t have any “unfinished business”; at least he doesn’t think he does. He’s thought of little else for the time he’s been here, always trying to figure out how to leave.

Reiner sighs as he sprawls out across the carpet. Bertholdt has been gone for a few hours now and Reiner just wishes he would come back soon so he’d at least have someone to talk to. The brunet has been hanging around with Jean and Marco and although they’re friendly, Reiner doesn’t care much to take part in their usual gossip. Bertholdt claims that he doesn’t enjoy it but Reiner can see that he only tells himself that to eliminate the guilt. Although the taller man isn’t much into eavesdropping, he sure likes to listen in on the gossip that results from it.

Reiner had contemplated hanging out in the basement earlier but when he had gone downstairs, no one was there. He had found himself alone for one of the first times since he had died and he wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. He had enjoyed it at first, taking the time to explore on his own, but he had become lonely after only a few hours.

When Bertholdt returns about an hour later, Reiner is still laying in the center of what used to be the living room with his eyes closed. He startles the blonde when he laughs softly. “Bored?” Reiner sprawls his arms and legs out across the floor before opening his eyes to stare at the ceiling.

“Yes, very.”

“Have you tried to leave yet today?” Reiner frowns with a short nod.

“First thing I do every morning.” Bertholdt hums softly before crossing the room to sit on the floor and lean against the wall.

“And you're sure-“ Reiner cuts him off with a sigh.

“Yes, I’m sure I’m content with everything. I’m not holding on to anything. Nothing at all. Nada.” Bertholdt sits silently for a moment as he waits for Reiner to calm down.

“Well…umm…what about your last relationship? I was here for that last argument and it sounds like some things may have gone unresolved…” Reiner scoffs before the brunet is even finished speaking.

“It's been, what…over a month and a half now? That’s not it.” Bertholdt raises an eyebrow at the man across the room.

“Hmm…alright, whatever.” He may not get Reiner to talk tonight but he might’ve gotten him thinking about things that he may have been neglecting to acknowledge before. They sit in silence for a good while before Reiner sits up with a sigh.

“Can I be real for a second?” Bertholdt crosses his arms behind his head before laying back against the floor.

“Go for it.”

“I hate how you try to dissect me but I’m not even allowed to know a _single_ detail about you.”

“Oh, _come on_.” Bertholdt sits up and looks at the blonde in disbelief. “I don’t try to dissect you.”

“Well, it sure does feel that way. I know that you like to cook and that you like to write and that your life was pretty shitty right before your death but…nothing else. How much have I told you?”

“You told me about yourself because you _wanted_ to! I don’t want to tell you about my life!” Bertholdt realizes that he’s shouting now but he doesn’t care. It’s something he hasn’t done in a long time and it feels good.

“If you’re so against letting me get to know the person I’ve basically been living with for the past few months then why don’t you just fucking leave? God knows I would if I could.” Reiner rolls his eyes before turning away from the brunet. He feels a pang of guilt hit him for being so rude to Bertholdt. He considers him a friend and hates that his anger has gotten the best of him but it feels good to finally voice his thoughts. Bertholdt is silent as he gathers his own thoughts.

“Maybe I will.” Reiner waits a moment until his guilt finally overtakes him but when he finally kicks his pride to the curb and rolls to face the other man, Bertholdt has already left. He panics as he tries to convince himself that Bert wouldn’t actually leave. Surely not out of spite. Reiner stands quickly before scanning the room with a full turn just to make sure Bertholdt hasn't been quietly hiding someplace out of sight. He checks the bedroom and looks through all of the windows before nervously sliding a hand through his hair. He runs through the walls of his own apartment and then Historia's before finally coming out on the other side of the apartment complex.

He finds Bertholdt there, sitting in the grass at the edge of his own threshold with his feet sticking through the barrier. Reiner approaches slowly and only dares to speak once he reaches the patch of grass behind the brunet. “Bertl…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. I was just frustrated, okay?” Bertholdt continues to pick at the grass around himself without saying anything. Reiner crouches down beside him with a frown. “I don’t want you to leave. I promise.” Bertholdt frowns before turning to look at the blonde beside him.

“I’m sorry I yelled at you…” He speaks softly as he stands, only brushing himself off out of habit. Reiner follows the motion before taking a step back to give the taller man his space.

“It's fine…I think I yelled too.” The brunet nods slowly.

“And I’m sorry if I made you feel like I’m trying to dissect you.”

“No, no. You weren’t and it’s fine…I've been feeling cooped up and on edge lately and I really overreacted.  There’s no harm in wanting to get to know me…but it’s just a little frustrating when it’s one-sided.” Bertholdt takes a cautious step back. He doesn’t want another argument and he’s prepared to walk away if another one breaks out.

“I’m sorry…”

“Don’t apologize. You’ve done enough of that. Now come on, let’s head back.” Reiner makes a half turn, hoping that the brunet will follow him back to the apartment. Bertholdt takes a shaky breath before dropping his arms to his sides and taking a few steps closer. The argument had worn him down just enough to let go of what he's been withholding from the other man.

“Reiner…?” Reiner turns back around to face the other man with a curious look in his eyes.

“Yeah?”

“I was murdered.” Reiner sighs shakily as he watches Bert's bottom lip begin to wobble, his wounds slowly becoming visible. Bertholdt stiffens up when he feels Reiner's arms suddenly pull him into a tight embrace. He doesn’t move, not out of fear but out of choice. It feels nothing like he had expected contact from another spirit to feel like. Reiner's embrace is warm and comforting; just as it would be if they were living. The blonde has half the mind to pull away when he realizes he’s overstepped Bert's “no touching” boundary but Bertholdt hooks his arms around the other man to quickly pull him back.

He rests his chin on Reiner's shoulder as powerful sobs begin to wrack his body. Bertholdt is crying for the first time since his first few nights as a ghost and it feels liberating but he hates how weak it makes him feel. It had never been this hard for him to tell anyone else about what had happened to him and he figures that it’s hard for him now because he hasn’t done it in so long. The brunet wipes his eyes with the back of his hand before pulling away. His wounds have disappeared again, Reiner notices, and it seems like the brunet is doing a pretty good job of calming himself down. “Sorry…” Bertholdt smiles sheepishly and ignores the fact that Reiner's eyes look wet. “Didn’t mean to lose it like that…” Reiner flashes him a faint smile.

“It’s alright. There’s no harm in losing it every once in a while.” He pats the brunet on the shoulder softly before motioning for him to follow. “Let’s head back inside, yeah?” Bertholdt nods in response before following Reiner closely. After entering the apartment he flops down onto the carpet before rolling onto his back to stare at the ceiling, earning a soft chuckle from the blonde. “I’m sorry for pushing you to talk.”  Bertholdt casually waves his hand in the air. He’s completely calmed down by now and he’s thankful that Reiner had been kind enough to comfort him.

“It's fine…I needed it.” Reiner nods slowly.

“We can talk about me now if you want…so its an equal exchange...”

“Umm…you really don't have to.” Bert sighs quietly. “I don’t really want to push you if you don’t want to talk about it…”

“No, I want to…or rather, I _should_ do it because it’s the best for me. Maybe talking things out could help me figure out why I’m stuck, y’know?”

“Yeah…maybe. What’s on your mind?”

“What you said earlier about my last relationship.” Bert nods before turning his attention back to the ceiling and away from Reiner. He’s afraid he'll make the blonde feel pressured if he looks at him for too long. “So…you heard that, huh?”

“Mhmm. I heard everything.” The blonde’s eyes widen slightly and Bertholdt can sense the embarrassment radiating from his general direction.

“ _Everything_?”

“Well, mostly everything. Don’t worry, I made sure to leave the premises whenever I thought… _things_ …might be happening.” Reiner nods slowly.

“Thanks….for the privacy and all.”

“No problem. It’s just common courtesy.” Bertholdt flashes the other man a polite smile. “Now, go on. I’m listening.”

“I feel like shit for letting him down, y’know? And believe it or not, that wasn’t the first time that’s happened. The only person I’ve ever said the L Word to is my mother.” Bertholdt chuckles softly at Reiner's avoidance of the word.

“Why haven’t you said it to anyone else? Were your past relationships not serious enough to warrant it?” Reiner pauses for a moment.

“I think the last one was serious enough but…it’s a heavy word. There’s a lot of meaning behind it for me and I don’t want to say it without _really_ meaning it…that sounds kind of lame doesn’t it?” Bertholdt frowns before sitting up to face the man across the room.

“No. Not at all. Everyone has things that are special to them. Do you feel guilty for not saying it to him?” Reiner sighs before shifting uncomfortably.

“Kind of? I feel like maybe I should’ve at least done it for the sake of his feelings. So he wouldn’t feel like he was wasting time on me or anything…”

“Reiner…if you weren’t ready then you weren’t ready. You shouldn’t do things to appease those around you if you aren’t comfortable with it yourself.” A faint smile pulls at Reiner's lips before he hums softly.

“Alright, so…is that why I can’t leave? The guilt?”

“Hmm. Could be. Maybe you should try to forgive yourself for disappointing him before trying to leave again.” Reiner nods in response.

“It’ll take some time but I’ll do my best.” They sit in peaceful silence for a few minutes until the blonde speaks again. “Thank you.” Bertholdt turns to look at him with a soft hum.

“For what?”

“You’re good at giving advice and I really appreciate it. You’re a good friend, Bertl.” Bert smiles at that, happy that he could be of some help.

“It’s the least I could do. I know how badly you want to get out of here and I’m going to do my best to help you every step of the way.” Bertholdt  reassures him with another smile. He thinks about telling Reiner the full story of his death but decides after a long while that it'll have to wait until another day.


End file.
